And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

Ezekiel 14:9-11

9 “‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. 10 They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. 11 Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Today’s title is “Enticed as Guilty as Enticer”

Eve was enticed by the serpent to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve ate the fruit and gave it to Adam too. Adam and Eve both sinned against God who clearly forbade them not to eat the fruit. As sin crept into the hearts of Adam and Eve, two things happened. First, both of them felt guilt. Second, they wanted to blame it on someone else. So when they were confronted by God about it, Adam blamed the women who gave the fruit to him. Eve blamed the serpent. What was God’s verdict to them? The serpent received the most severe verdict for the temptation. But God didn’t acquit Adam and Eve completely from their sins. They had to bear their share of guilt. I believe the two things still happen to every sinner including us. When we sin, we wish we could blame it on someone else and go scot-free. But the most ancient principle of each bearing own share of guilt still stands strong. There were a lot of false prophets and shepherds at the time of Ezekiel. They misled the people of Israel away from God and to idolatry. When God confronted them, the people of Israel blamed the false prophets and shepherds. “We were just following what they have said. We thought they were sent from you, God.” People of Israel might have said something like this to God as an excuse. But they could not escape from their own guilt. God’s verdict is clear and consistent. If any prophet is wrong, God will punish him for what he has done. But that doesn’t make the people of God who consulted him any less guilty. Prophets, shepherds, and pastors are all supposedly servants of God. God wants His people to have a proper relationship with these servants of God. But people’s relationship with the servants of God can never replaces God’s relationship with the people. We are God’s people, not the people of the servants of God. Have respect for the servants of God. Maintain a proper relationship with them. But be always mindful that they are as vulnerable as you are. It is your responsibility to make sure whether they are true to God or not. It may sound difficult for innocent people of God. But a sheep that hears the voice of its genuine master every day can never fall into the voice of a faked one. A baby who is constantly nourished by his own mother can never miss his own mother’s voice. So let’s just walk daily with God and rest in Him. You will never fall into the enticement of a fake one. Amen!